In more than one state they limit the shot size for turkey hunting incase of an accidental shooting so that the wounds caused by the smaller shot are survivable. If your shooting to save your life do you want to make that bet on a shot load that is selected in the hunting fields to save peoples lives?

I appreciate the advice, and I believe you that he probably knows more on the subject. Sometimes you just gotta' trust your gut though and/or go with what is comfortable for you. If I do someday have to pull the trigger to defend myself or the family(I think there is a good chance I will not have to), then I just want to use a little extra. screw the sorry b&%$@#^ who is on the other end. I've already made a decision to change his journey in this world. It's also good practice to shoot the more agressive rounds because you become more used to handling more. I actually stay away from the newer technology or the advertised 'low recoil' rounds. I love shotguns. They like it rough. I am picky about shotgun ammo more than my other firearms too(I only buy winchester&federal).The Mossberg was my first firearm, and I think I would definately feel most comfortable weilding it besides any other of my firearms in a 'true' HD situation. I'll keep this thread in mind, but the 3" does the trick for me. I will time it the next time too+possibly do some comparisons. I didn't time it the 3 times I did the shooting exercise I described above.

at close range, moving as a group, penetration would be ok, but would not go through bone or more than a few inches of tissue.

at close range, it would be close to 1000 ft lbs of energy delivered over a shallow wound. That might stop (not kill, because its a shallow wound) the average joe, but if your goon is on drugs or pumped full of adrenaline, he will probably not react, and the shallow wound wont cause him to bleed out quickly, if at all.

Buck shot, on the other hand, will penetrate all the way through a person with ease, most likely hitting vital organs and major blood vessels along the way, meaning that even if your attacker/invader is high, crazy, and adrenaline pumped, he will be rendered incapacitated from blood loss or organ damage very quickly. 000 Buck is at 294 ft lbs per pellet at the muzzle at 1350 fps. a regular 9mm round is about 350-400 ft lbs, and you only have one of those hitting the target.

if you are afraid of over-penetration, go with a compromise. get #3 shot. at 1350 fps, each #3 pellet is delivering 98 ft. lbs of energy, which would be like getting hit with a dozen or more .22lr rounds at 25 yards. good stopping power, not too much penetration.

The range on all that I have personally killed have been w- in 30 yards. We take our shotgun patterns seriously in the Lowcountry.

The longest I have seen killed was at 58 paces w- #4's. Didn't have a range finder on hand so we had to go old school and walk it out. My average "measuring" gait is between 2.8 - 3.2 feet. My boot sole print is right at 13" but doing the "heel to toe" DUI walk isn't (almost always not) conducive to measuring distance due to undergrowth, etc...

Feral pigs are considered a nuisance in our area and cost land owners and farmers significant monetary loss. Therefore, we put a bullet or shot into everyone we feel we can cleanly kill, so long as we aren't actively working a bird. I've had over 30 walk w- in 20 yards during turkey season and wished to put a bullet in their hide but turkeys come first, no need to "educate" the birds to shotgun blasts and turkey calls.

By the way, it is illegal to carry buckshot during turkey season in SC. Gotta work with what the law allows...

You guys that keep saying birdshot won't kill someone need to stop.
It may or may not be the best home defense load, but birdshot most definitely can kill. Saying otherwise is extremely irresponsible.
Let me say it again- AT CLOSE RANGE, BIRDSHOT CAN KILL. IT'S NOT A TOY!!

My wife works the surgical postop trauma floor of the local gsw/auto wreck "patch em up & bill the taxpayer county hospital. She's seen some devastating wounds with birdshot that take out great swaths of soft tissue. Some of those folks recover, some linger for days then expire due to the nasty complications that come with such wounds. Most are gangbangers shot from contact to 10 feet or so for the gravely wounded.

But, birdshot generally can't penetrate bone at noncontact range and does not act as a single projectile. She doesn't see hardly any bukshot or slug recipients, as they die before they get to the hospital or on the table. Her lesson learned is that birdshot can kill up close, eventually, but buck and slugs kill drt. Or much more likely to kill drt.

Ftr, 00, 000, and slugs for my hd shotguns.

Good luck whatever you use.

__________________Regards, jfruser
"We have now sunk to a depth at which re-statement of the obvious is the first duty of intelligent men."----George OrwellResume

Long before I was born, my grandfather used a 12 ga. w/birdshot to stop an intruder. Killed him from about 15'. This doesn't prove anything, but I suppose due to availability of shotguns loaded with common birdshot, it has killed more BG's than any other loading. Not a perfect load, but maybe the one that's always available in rural areas.

i bet bird shot would probably do the trick... but, would i put my life on that bet? No. i would say put a light on that end of that shotgun to reduce a chance of a miss if there are little ones in the house.

I would steer clear of any custom ammunition, reloads, etc for home defense purposes. Use Made in the USA premium shells from a known and respected manufacturer. Test hundreds of your HD rounds through your shotgun in varying weather conditions and gun temperature conditions. IF you do ever have to use the rounds, you don't want some lawyer out to get you cause you were shooting roofing nails or something crazy out of your shotgun.

I do keep deer slugsin mine, but I wont ever say birdshot isnt lethal, if all you have is birdshot, use it dont lay it down thinking it wont work. Then go get some good 00 buck or some good deer slugs. I have loaded up with number 2 copper plated, it will put a hurtin on anything I shoot I am sure of that.

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